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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. rash — a series
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. tube — a container
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — steady
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bass — the fish
  12. firm — decided
  13. ground — the earth
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ground — a position
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rash — hasty
  19. season — in sport
  20. tube — the underground
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com